X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 13 (2024)

Shane Baz - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Prospects, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers for Week 13 of the 2024 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these free-agent pitchers.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 13 (June 17 - June 23). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues. These are SP options to consider that might be good additions to your fantasy roster, especially for streaming.

Last week, we recommended some starting pitchers to scoop up whose rostership was lower than they should be. For those of you in deeper leagues, we will split that into another section, looking at starting pitchers rostered in less than 30% of Yahoo! leagues. We also look at pitchers beyond this coming week and look for tasty matchups a bit further down the road. One consideration for many fantasy players is that the bottom portion of your roster in deeper fantasy leagues should be churned frequently. That means you are playing matchups and looking for pitchers who can exploit weak-hitting teams. Start anybody pitching against the following teams: Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, and Colorado Rockies.

Another caveat here: you are unlikely to find guys on the waiver wire that will strike out tons of hitters or be extremely exciting in most instances. What I look for are guys who can contribute to my bottom lines: a win perhaps (although chasing them is foolish and tricky), while not destroying my carefully manicured ratios. Keep your expectations modest; think it will do no harm and hope for the best. Let's get after it.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

Let's take a look at some pitchers who could help you over the next few days.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!

Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds (rostered in 50% of leagues)

Much has been written about the command issues that Abbott brings to the table. But what intrigues me is that he earns wins; he's won four of his last six starts and has gone at least five innings in eight consecutive starts. The numbers won't wow you, especially with the strikeouts; he has 57 in 74 innings. However, the 3.28 ERA and 1.19 WHIP help, as does his five wins. It is important to remember as we scan the waiver wire that every player on it has some flaw. The question is, can we use what he brings to the table and absorb what he doesn't do well on our squad? If so, grab him.

Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays (rostered in 41% of leagues)

Bradley will not be on the waiver wire very long, especially after two consecutive starts with seven and 11 strikeouts. He has two wins, a 4.23 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts in 38 innings. Eye-popping to me: the 17 swinging strikes, showed how good Bradley could be. He is worth taking a risk on at this time. This could be your last chance to get him relatively cheaply. See below.

Kyle Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals (rostered in 33% of leagues)

Many fantasy players scoff at Gibson, and I get it. Yet look at his numbers: five wins, a 3.44 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts in 83 innings. You don't need that? He's pitched into the sixth inning in four consecutive starts, with at least six strikeouts in each one. He shut out the Chicago Cubs on Friday night for seven innings. Gibson can fit in nicely at the back end of many fantasy rotations. Give him a look if you need rotation depth. Look at the top line, listing Gibson's May statistics, and then his three starts in June. He's been productive.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered less than 30% on Yahoo!

Shane Baz, Tampa Bay Rays (rostered in 29% of leagues)

Baz isn't back yet, but he will be shortly. He's still available in many leagues and now would be the time to add him if you are looking for a potentially dominant arm. It's been an almost two-year recovery from Tommy John surgery for Baz. He was dominant in his last Triple-A start for Durham, striking out 10 hitters over five innings and giving up one run on three hits. We remain unsure of when he will get the call back to Tampa, but it should be coming soon, and when he does, this is an impact arm for your squad. The chart below shows the above-average stuff that Baz showed when he last pitched in MLB in 2022. He's arriving soon.

Drew Thorpe, Chicago White Sox (rostered in 26% of leagues)

If the name sounds familiar, it may be due to Thorpe having been part of two mega trades in the last year. First, he went from the New York Yankees to the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade; he then moved to the Chicago White Sox in the Dylan Cease acquisition. Thorpe has dominated at Double-A Birmingham, where he was 7-1 with a tiny 1.35 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and 56 strikeouts in 60 innings. He made his MLB debut and looked the part for the moribund White Sox, going five strong innings with four strikeouts and two walks. It was a small sample size, but his changeup looked excellent. Moreover, he looked like a guy who knows how to pitch. He should get at least two more starts for the White Sox as they continue to evaluate their young pitching. Look for Thorpe to be in the rotation, at least for the time being. See the career minor league numbers for Thorpe below; they are extremely impressive.

Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins (rostered in 25% of leagues)

Woods Richardson is an interesting case. Many fantasy players ignored him despite the opportunity he has in Minnesota right now. He was hit around a bit Friday night in his last start, but his overall numbers remain very good: he's got two wins, a 3.29 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts in 54 innings. People look under the hood and think that they want something more than what Woods Richardson provides, but he's useful as ratio control if you have strikeouts covered on your team. He should be rostered far more than in 25% of leagues. The increase in velocity on all three of his four-seamer, slider, and changeup makes me believe that he might be gaining strength and growing as a pitcher. Snap him up if you can at this low price.

Tylor Megill, New York Mets (rostered in 24% of leagues)

Megill is the forgotten rotation guy in New York but has pitched rather well in five starts. He has only one win, but a 3.51 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in 25 innings. In three of those starts, he has had seven, eight, and nine strikeouts. Every fantasy team can use pitchers that garner strikeouts. Megill could be a good addition to your fantasy roster. Some interesting things to look at below, led by the fastball velocity and the K%.

 

Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves (roster in 12% of leagues)

Waldrep's stats in his first start were disappointing to those fantasy players who had picked him up based on his reputation as one of the top starters in the Atlanta Braves system. He gave up seven runs in a little over three innings, on four hits (one a home run) and four walks. If people dropped him in the leagues you are in, I would ask you to reconsider that move and think of adding him. Waldrep limited hard contact despite the poor results and should get some opportunity with injuries wreaking havoc on their rotation. Waldrep gets the struggling Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, followed by the New York Yankees next week. Add him and stash him if you do not want to start him against the powerful Yankees.

 

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Options

Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be FUN above everything. Enjoy it!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Christopher Morel

Home Run Seals Victory For Rays
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Zach Neto

Hits Go-Ahead Home Run On Thursday
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Tallies Three Hits In Win Against Arizona
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Pete Fairbanks

Picks Up Fourth Save On Thursday
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Picks Up Save On Thursday
Corbin Burnes

Picks Up Eight Strikeouts In Thursday's Start
MacKenzie Gore

Strikes Out Eight In Loss On Thursday
Cade Povich

Picks Up Win On Thursday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Scores Three Runs, Steals A Base On Thursday
Alex Bregman

Homers In Loss To Seattle
Mike Yastrzemski

Homers, Drives In Two On Thursday
Salvador Perez

Notches Four Doubles, Four RBI In Thursday's Doubleheader
Jordan Beck

Homers Three Times On Thursday
Jameson Williams

Lions Didn't Entertain Trade Offers For Jameson Williams
Dalton Rushing

Homers In Four-Hit Game
Qadir Ismail

Raiders Sign Qadir Ismail
New York Giants

Giants Plan To Exercise Kayvon Thibodeaux's Fifth-Year Option
Russell Wilson

Will Be Giants Starting Quarterback
Max Muncy

With A Pair Of Doubles Back At Triple-A
Michael Lorenzen

Tosses Quality Start
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Close Out The First Round With Josh Simmons
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up One Spot In First Round To Select Jihaad Campbell
A.J. Puk

Likely To Miss Multiple Months
Marquis Grissom Jr.

Notches Fifth Save At Double-A
Buffalo Bills

Bills Address Secondary And Take Maxwell Hairston With 30th Overall Pick
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Records Third Save
NFL

Eagles, Chiefs Swap First-Round Picks
Washington Commanders

Josh Conerly Jr. Goes At No. 29 Overall To Commanders

Giants Trade Up For Jaxson Dart At No. 25
Detroit Lions

Tyleik Williams Taken By Lions At No. 28 Overall
Shane Smith

Tosses Five Shutout Frames
Roman Anthony

With Home Run No. 5 On Thursday
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Go With Malaki Starks At No. 27 Overall In NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Takes Donovan Jackson No. 24 Overall
NFL

Rams Trade The 26th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Trade Back Into First Round To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 26 Overall

Matthew Golden Selected No. 23 Overall By Green Bay
NFL

Texans Trade The 25th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Giants

Omarion Hampton Taken No. 22 Overall By Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Selects Derrick Harmon At No. 21 Overall
Denver Broncos

Broncos Build Secondary By Selecting Jahdae Barron At No. 20

Buccaneers Add Emeka Egbuka At No. 19
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Posts Team-High 26 Points In Tuesday's Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Notches 27 Points Despite Poor Shooting
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Pascal Siakam

Scores Team-High 24 Points In Game 2 Win
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF